Ape House: Chapters 1-12

 

 Woohoo! This is my first time to join in on the discussion for the blogging book club Book Beginnings & Bookends :) This month we're reading Sara Gruen's Ape House. Check out my answers to the first set of discussion questions below.

 

 

 

1. What was your initial reaction to the idea of a language lab with bonobos who are capable of having conversations with humans? 

 

I was fascinated to read about the bonobos communicating with humans through American Sign Language. I wanted to be with John Thigpen when he got to visit the lab and experience this first-hand! Even though I thought the bonobos and the work done at the lab was very interesting, I was a little disturbed by how attached Isabel was to the bonobos. She calls them her family and has their pictures all over her apartment! It almost seems that she has let her "relationships" with the bonobos replace human relationships, and that just isn't healthy. I think that she's too close to them- emotionally and physically. I was also a little disturbed that the bonobos seemed to order the humans around at the lab. It was kind of like the bonobos were royalty and the humans were their servants - rushing to fetch them anything they wanted. 

2. Isabel said early in the book that the apes know they're apes and know that the humans are humans, but they don't see any superiority with either... What do you think the major difference is between the two?

The bonobos are mainly concerned with satisfying their apetites - food, sex, etc. - as much as possible. They don't show the restraint that humans do.

3. What are your thoughts on John and his feelings toward Isabel? How do you think their relationship will play out?

 

John only spent a few hours with Isabel so I would think that his feelings for her would only be a physical attraction. The author seems to indicate in several points, though, that there's more to these feelings or that something further will develop between these two. I'm disappointed in this aspect of the story because John seems to genuinely love his wife, and the author seems to foreshadow that his marriage is eventually going to collapse and he's going to end up with Isabel. I'm hoping that's not the case!

4. How do you think Isabel will respond to the apes being taken?

I think she's going to be utterly disconsolate since she considers them to be her family. I think that she's going to stop at nothing to get them back.

5. Do you think Celia is part of the team that ambushed the learning center?

 

I don't think so. I think that she's too obvious a choice to be the real villain. I think that she's going to be instrumental in helping Isabel find the bonobos.

6. What are your thoughts on John and his relationship with Amanda? 

 

John is very supportive of Amanda. He really wants the best for her and tries to make that happen. He has also been very patient with her as she struggles with depression. I feel some sympathy for Amanda because I can only imagine how difficult it would be to deal with the failure of a first book and all of those rejection notices for a second book! But I also think that she's being selfish moving out to LA to work on a risky project and leaving her husband behind in Philadelphia. She seems to place her needs ahead of John's needs and is willing to sacrifice their relationship to further her career. I think that at some point in the book John is going to burn out, and there's going to be a crisis in their marriage.

Valentine's Day DIY Cards

This year for Valentine's Day I would really like to make a card for my husband. That said - I am certainly not the most crafty person in the world. For example, I spent 4 hours trying to make one bow out of ribbon for a decoration for my wedding and it turned out to be an utter disaster :( But I aspire to be crafty so I think I'm going to give it a shot this Valentine's Day. The card might turn out looking like something a 4-year-old made, but it's the thought that counts, right?

Doing some research, I've found several really fun ideas. I'm not sure which one I'll pick yet, but I think these are all super creative and possibly doable for me :)

Martha Stewart:

1. Quilled Open Heart Valentines

 

This looks like the most challenging of the designs, but I love the result! I have no idea who sells quilling paper, though. (Michaels? Hobby Lobby?)

2. Queen and King of Hearts Valentines

 

Simple but cute. I could pair it with a homemade envelope for a little more cuteness.

3. Antique-Style Valentines

Lots of complicated folding, but I think P would really enjoy opening this :)

4. Ribbon-Punched Valentines

I think I did something similar to this in Girl Scouts back in the day :)

Real Simple:

Real Simple had several great Valentine's Day craft ideas. Love the button card! I need to buy some buttons anyway so I could just buy several pack of red ones while I'm at it.


The Sweetest Occasion:

This is my favorite, but I think I'm going to save this idea for our anniversary in April because I just don't have the time to do this right now! This project is called the "Library of Love" which, of course, is oh-so-fitting for me since I'm a librarian :) Basically you create library catalog cards replacing the call numbers with important dates in your relationship, book titles with memories and significant quotes, and publisher info with cities where you have traveled and then file them in a decorated box. I especially like this idea for an anniversary because you can add cards to it every year.

I'm also going to attempt to make cake balls for him as a little Valentine's Day treat. I tried to make cake balls for the first time for my office Christmas party, and they were a gigantic fail and I couldn't take them. But Peter thought the ugly results were quite tasty so I vowed to try again. I will not be defeated by cake mix, frosting, and melted chocolate :)

(this is what my next batch will look like!)

(images from Martha Stewart, Real Simple, The Sweetest Occasion blog, and Bakerella)

Sending Lots of Love to Punxsutawney Phil!!!

I guess Punxsutawney Phil is as tired of hibernating as I am because he came out of his burrow today and didn't go back in. Spring is almost here!!! It is a very happy Groundhog Day :)

As a side note - I was perusing the Cake Doctor website yesterday and saw these really cute groundhog cupcakes.

I've never been one to really celebrate Groundhog Day, but I might need to whip up a batch of these and start a new tradition :)

(images from Google Images and Cake Doctor)

Menu Monday (sort of)

I had planned to post this yesterday but was too busy so Menu Tuesday it is :)

I only tried two new recipes this past week since we were eating leftovers and we were out of town this past weekend.

Sunday

*Vegetarian Country Captain

*Rice

*Tossed Salad

I love traditional Country Captain and have a great recipe for it, but when I saw this recipe in Cooking Light , I wanted to try it because I've been trying to include more veggies in our diet. It smelled wonderful while it was cooking (love curry powder!), but the result was not so wonderful. Not awful but not nearly as tasty as the original and not a keeper. Grade: C

Monday

*Leftover Vegetarian Country Captain (it did not improve as a leftover!)

*Leftover Rice

*Leftover Salad

Tuesday

*Leftover Vegetarian Country Captain (this recipe made a ton!)

*Leftover Rice

*Leftover Salad

Wednesday

*Kung Pao Chicken

*Rice (we ate a lot of rice this week!)

*Steamed Broccoli

Another recipe from Cooking Light and another so-so result (unusual since Cooking Light rarely lets me down). The snow peas were still crisp on the first serving, but with reheating, they wilted and were kind of mushy (bleh - no mush in my food please!). The sauce also didn't have much kick to it; I thought Kung Pao chicken was supposed to have some "Pao" to it but it was lackluster. Grade: B-

Thursday

*Leftover Kung Pao Chicken

*Leftover rice

*Leftover Broccoli

Friday through Sunday

We were at my in-laws so I didn't have to cook all weekend! I love cooking, but it is nice to have a break every now and then :) My MIL made a very unique coffeecake for Sat. morning. I had never had anything like it; it was more of a sweet bread than a traditional streusel coffeecake. Hot out of the oven with butter = Yum!

Amrita Singh and My 5 Must-Haves

Another snow day today :) Not a complete day-off-work snow day, but a two-hour delay is still nice! And we were let off 2 hours early yesterday because of the snow so I'm not complaining. I will complain a bit, though, about the traffic last night trying to get home. Terrible! My 20-minute commute with my husband (we carpool) turned into an hour and a half commute. I'm so thankful that our commute wasn't longer (I've heard horror stories about 8-hour commutes last night!) and that we arrived home safe and sound with an intact car :) It was awfully pretty this morning driving to work; if it has to be winter, I like to see snow covering the trees and ground (just not the streets!).

HauteLook is featuring Amrita Singh jewelry today, and I was so excited because I have been drooling over her creations for awhile now. Guess who got an early Valentine's Day present? :) Look at my pretties:

Jitney Earrings in Coral

 Bridgehampton Bracelet in Coral

 Charlotte Necklace

Can't wait until they arrive at my doorstep!!!

Following in the footsteps of Muffy Martini and Kappa Prep, I thought that I would list my 5 MUST haves - the items that I can't leave home without. After some consideration, here they are:

1. Lipstick/Lip Gloss: I have a fair complexion and need some color or I look totally washed out. Even if I'm cleaning at home and don't have a speck of make-up on my face, I have lipstick on :) Black Honey Almost Lipstick by Clinique is one of my favorites; you can't go wrong with this color - it looks good on everyone!

2. Tissues: I have allergies. Ugh!

3. Purse: I keep both of the above in a purse. Usually in a colorful purse :) Love Kate Spade!

4. Book: I know it's stereotypical for a librarian to admit this, but - yeah - I almost always carry a book with me. You never know when you'll be stuck in traffic or on the Metro or waiting for a friend, husband, family member, etc and need something to do. Golden opportunities to sneak in a bit of reading abound :)

5. Water Bottle: Preferably monogrammed :) I chug a lot of water during the day so I always keep a water bottle with me.


(images from HauteLook, Sephora, Amazon, Kate Spade, and Monogram Chick)

My weekend starts after work tonight since tomorrow is my day off. P and I are going to visit his parents in PA this weekend, and I'm really looking forward to it!

Weekend Recap

I had planned to do my first Menu Monday post yesterday, but I had a horrible migraine most of the day and just wasn't feeling up to writing anything. So I'll put that off until next Monday :)

Peter and I had a fairly relaxing weekend. Fri. night we babysat for our friends' three kids - ranging in age from 4 to 7 months. The baby girl slept the entire time we were there, but we made cookies with the two boys and our friend K who stopped by to hang out with us. The boys' grandmother had just bought them two new cookie sheets that made cookies in the shapes of planes, race cars, and various other boy-related objects, and they loved using them :) We ate way too many cookies that night (!), but in spite of the sugar rush, the boys went to bed really easily. We stayed to talk with our friends when they returned and didn't end up getting home until past midnight. Sat. I went shopping in Bethesda, MD. I knew that several of the stores in Bethesda Row were having sales (including the Lilly store there - The Pink Palm!), but I really wasn't impressed with any of the offerings - very ho-hum (I ended up just buying a book at B&N and some moisturizer at Blue Mercury). I was, however, very impressed with the offerings at Georgetown Cupcake :) I had never been to GC before, and I decided even though the line was out the door and I would have to stand in the cold (it was in the 20s that day) for at least 15 min., I needed to try it out. And I am sooo glad that I did - my world has been changed for the better!!! I bought a salted caramel cupcake and a red velvet cupcake for Peter and I to share that night, and we both agreed that they were the best cupcakes hands down that we had ever had. Seriously yum! I'm looking for another excuse to go to Bethesda Row and try some more flavors :)

 (images from Georgetown Cupcake)

Sat. night we watched He's Just Not That Into You which we had heard mixed reviews about from friends, but P and I really liked it.

 (image from IMBD)

I think it was pretty honest about some of the stuff that goes on in the dating scene. We couldn't stop laughing at the scene where the two ladies are discussing different lines that men have used to dump them. My personal favorite line from that scene: "'I am so jealous of the guy who gets to marry you.' - Well, that could have been you. That's what I was leaning towards." Ha! Sun. we had lunch with friends after church, and then I ran a few errands and came home and we watched football and called our families.

Tonight I have a Junior League meeting after work in Alexandria, VA. It's the kick-off meeting for my mini-placement this spring as a provisional member, and I'm super excited about it :) I just hope that I can get to the meeting on time; I'm metro-ing and that's always unpredictable! This weekend we'll visit Peter's parents in PA and finally have our "Christmas" with them. We spent the actual Christmas holiday with my family in Memphis so we have yet to exchange presents with P's family. I kind of like extending the celebration :)

Giveaway at 2 Preppy Girls

Thanks to Sweet Southern Prep for sharing this! 2 Preppy Girls is giving away a PSA Essentials personalized stamp, 1 Peel & Stick pack, 1 ink,  and 1 alignment tool. YAY!!!

Go to 2 Preppy Girls for directions on how to enter. The deadline to enter is midnight tonight :)